Red Digital Cinema Camera Company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.(June 2008) Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. |
| Red Digital Cinema Camera Company | |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters |  Lake Forest, California, USA |
| Key people | Jim Jannard |
| Industry | Digital cinematography |
| Products | Red One Scarlet Epic Red Ray |
| Website | www.red.com |
The Red Digital Cinema Camera Company manufactures digital cinematography cameras and accessories for professional and cinematic use. The main product, the Red One, is unrivaled in performance and cost.
Red Digital Cinema Camera Company was founded in 2005 by Jim Jannard, founder of the Oakley company. The company's main product is the Red One, capable of recording at resolutions up to 4096 horizontal by 2304 vertical pixels, directly to flash or hard disk based digital storage. It features a single Super 35-sized CMOS sensor and an cinematography industry standard PL mount.
The camera body is priced at US$17,500, far below most comparable products, and as a result it may make high-resolution digital cinematography accessible to many more productions.[1] This aggressive pricing, and Red's approach of reaching out to potential customers through online forums—unusual in the traditionally very small digital cinematography market—have generated considerable industry attention and controversy.
Contents |
[edit] Red One
The Red One was announced in 2006 and released in 2007 as the first camera produced by Red Digital Cinema Camera Company. It has a 12 megapixel bayer pattern CMOS sensor, called the proprietary Mysterium. The sensor measures 24.4 mm x 13.7 mm, and has 4520 by 2540 active pixels, though the camera only records data from a 4096 by 2304 pixel area in normal operation. The Mysterium sensor has about the same active area as a Super 35 film frame masked to the 16:9 aspect ratio, allowing the same depth of field to be produced in conjunction with lenses designed to cover the 35 mm film format.
The camera also allows the sensor to be used in a windowed mode in which the sensor can emulate the active area of a Super 16 film frame while capturing 2048 pixel resolution footage. This allows the camera to be used with Super 16 lenses.
Red has measured the sensor's signal to noise ratio at greater than 66 dB,[2] and claims 11.3 stops of total dynamic range.[3] However, the dynamic range reported from many cinematographers including Richard Bluck, place the camera's dynamic range significantly lower, at about 8 stops. This difference is probably attributable to the use of different mechanisms for measuring dynamic range. Red rates the sensor at 320 ISO natively.
[edit] Lens Mount
The Red One camera has an interchangeable lens mount. It ships with a PL mount, common for modern 35 mm and 16 mm motion picture cameras. The company has also released an adapter for 2/3" B4 lenses, and for Nikon F-mount lenses. Birger Engineering has announced it will soon release a Canon EF lens mount for the Red One, which will provide full electronic control of EF lenses. Other third parties may also have lens mounts in development for the Red One.
[edit] Recording formats
The Red One can record at several resolutions. All recording is progressive scan.
| Resolution | Supported Frame Rates |
|---|---|
| 4K 16:9 (4096x2304), 4K 2:1 (4096x2048) | 1 – 30 frame/s (variable) |
| 3K 16:9 (3072x1728), 3K 2:1 (3072x1536) | 1 – 60 frame/s (variable) |
| 2K 16:9 (2048x1152), 2K 2:1 (2048x1024) | 1 – 120 frame/s (variable) |
The Red One does not natively capture at standard definition or high definition resolutions. However, as part of the process of delivering the raw image data recorded by the camera, the RedCine desktop software can downscale footage to these resolutions. This process yields extremely high-quality output due to significant oversampling.
Red has indicated that a future accessory (replacing an optical raw port that Red originally planned to bring to market) may allow the camera to record data from the sensor's full 4520×2540 active area, although few details about this are currently available.[1]
[edit] Compression and workflow
Redcode RAW is a variable bitrate wavelet codec which allows raw sensor data at resolutions of up to 4096x2304 to be compressed sufficiently for practical on-camera recording. Two variants are offered, one with a maximum data rate of 28MB/s (224 megabits), and one with a maximum data rate of 36 MB/s (288 megabits). Compared with the uncompressed data captured by the sensor, these bitrates represent compression ratios of about 12:1 and 9:1, respectively.
Because Redcode is a wavelet codec, similar to CineForm RAW and JPEG2000, the blocking artifacts associated with other digital video compression algorithms are absent. However, sample images detailing Redcode specific artifacts have been posted on the manufacturer's forum.
Redcode is a mathematically lossy codec, meaning that decompression does not fully restore the original image data captured by the camera. Red does claim the codec is "visually lossless", meaning that the information loss is not visible to the naked eye when images are viewed, however this is a subjective statement.
Unlike cameras that record RGB data, the camera records raw data similar to the DALSA Origin and Silicon Imaging SI-2K. Recording raw data allows white balance, gamma and other image processing parameters like sharpening to be set during post production. Adjusting these settings directly on camera does not impact the raw data that is actually recorded. Such adjustment only influence live monitoring outputs, but are attached to the recorded data as metadata.
Another consequence of the Red's raw-based workflow is that footage must be processed through a demosaicing algorithm before it can be viewed. Red has provided a QuickTime component which allows a fast demosaic to occur in real-time so the footage can be used in applications that support QuickTime without transcoding. Higher quality output can be achieved by transcoding the footage through Red's RedCine or RedAlert! desktop software, although this process is much slower than real-time.
[edit] Lenses
Red has announced several Red-branded PL-mount lenses. The company is currently shipping a 300 mm f2.8 telephoto prime and an 18-50mm T*3 zoom. Red has plans to introduce a 50-150mm T*3 zoom, an 18-85mm T*3 zoom, and a full set of prime lenses.
[edit] Recording media
The Red One records footage to data files on disk or flash based digital storage.
The Red Drive is a 320 GB external hard-drive based digital magazine, containing two 2.5" hard drives in a RAID 0 configuration. It can record over two hours of 4K footage. A Red Drive is usually mounted in a cradle attached to the camera's rod support system. The drive connects to the camera via a specialty locking connector, though the camera and the drive communicate using the standard SATA protocol. The drive has FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB2 ports, and can be directly connected to a computer via any of those interfaces, at which point it appears as a standard external hard drive, and files containing the footage can be copied off like any other computer files.
Red also offers a Compact Flash module for the camera, and 8 GB flash cards. An 8 GB card can hold around 6 minutes of 4K footage and 20 minutes of 2K footage. Compact flash is preferable for cases where the camera rig needs to be as light as possible or in situations where sudden motion or intense vibration could cause dropped frames with hard drive based recording due to the mechanical nature of hard drives. While the camera can use industry standard flash cards, most are presently not fast enough to maintain the necessary data rates. Of particular note, Red's testing has shown that none of the 16 GB cards presently on the market are fast enough.
The company has announced plans to introduce a version of the Red Drive based around solid state disks, which should allow for significantly longer recording times than compact flash cards while eliminating the issues related to recording to mechanical hard drives. This "Red Flash Drive" will be significantly more expensive than the mechanical Red Drive, however.
[edit] Monitoring
Red offers two on-camera monitoring options for the Red One, a 5.6" LCD screen and an electronic viewfinder. The screen has a native resolution of 1024 by 600, while the electronic viewfinder has a native resolution of 1280 by 848. Both the screen and the viewfinder connect through proprietary interfaces and rely on in-camera processing to generate their data displays, so they are only compatible with the Red One.
The camera also has HD-SDI and HDMI outputs for connection to external monitors. These presently operate at 720p.
The Red One can generate a variety of data overlays which can be displayed on its video outputs, including histograms, waveform plots, false color exposure aids, and two different "focus assist" displays.
Unlike virtually all HD video cameras, the Red One does not generate a video stream in-camera which represents its final product. Its real-time monitoring outputs do not reflect the resolution and dynamic range captured in the raw files it records. The camera's live outputs are intended to be used only for on-set monitoring, similarly to the way a video tap is often used with film-based acquisition.
[edit] Audio
The camera has four TA3 ("mini XLR") connectors, and can record up to four channels of 24-bit 48 kHz digital audio.
[edit] Physical characteristics
The Red One camera body weighs around ten pounds.[2] Dimensions are 12.02" long x 6.34" tall x 5.2" wide.[2] The camera is based around a modular design concept. It has many mounting points, and accessories like recording devices, viewfinders, etc. are mounted to the camera, rather than being integral parts of the body.
[edit] Performance issues
Like many CMOS-based cameras, images captured by the Red One show rolling shutter artifacts. These occur because data is read from the sensor line by line over a short period of time, rather than all at once, so each frame in an image sequence does not actually represent a single instant in time. Rolling shutter artifacts can cause vertical objects to appear to lean as they move or as the camera pans past them, and can cause strobe effects like camera flashes or lighting strikes to appear only on portions of frames, creating a "tearing" effect. Also, in some shots with heavily overexposed highlights (often seen when the camera is pointed into the sun, for example), the brightest parts of highlights are rendered as purple or gray (one would expect them to be white). This is apparently related to some sort of self-protection feature in the sensor. Red have indicated that they are working on resolving this issue.
[edit] Footage
RedRelay.net has an extensive gallery of high-quality Red footage in various formats available for download [2]. Red itself also has some footage on its web site[3], although it is primarily older material shot on prototype cameras.
[edit] Preorder
Red ran a reservation for the Red One camera, requiring a $1000 deposit, between April 24, 2006 and October 31, 2006. Around 1000 cameras were reserved during that time. Reservations were reopened from January 21, 2007 until January 24, 2007.[4] The first 1080 reservation holders each received a machined titanium "R" with their future camera serial number engraved on it. Subsequently the camera became available for general ordering, although as of March 2008, there is still a wait time of several months, as Red fills an order backlog for over 3000 units.
Starting early on, the company involved itself in online discussion boards, primarily http://www.dvxuser.net and later http://www.reduser.net. This policy of taking reservations well before the camera was available, and of involving potential customers in the design and development process through online forum interactions, helped to build a strong online community for the camera well before it shipped, although it also generated controversy among those who were critical of enthusiasm for a product that was not yet available and that some even considered technically unfeasible.
[edit] Release
On August 31, 2007, Red shipped the first 25 Red One cameras to pre-order customers. As of April 2008, Red is shipping up to serial number 1750 (though because of the way serial numbers are assigned, there is no way to know how many of those cameras have actually been shipped to customers), and over 4,000 cameras have been ordered.
[edit] Firmware updates
Red began shipping cameras with feature-incomplete on-board software, with the intention of rolling out more features and bug fixes over time, via the camera's software updating mechanism. Since the initial release of the camera, new firmware releases have enabled sound, higher frame rates and better image quality, among other features. As with Red's policy of conducting so much of the camera's development out in the open, Red's policy of shipping the camera early and updating the software over time, a practice seen far more often in the computer industry than the film and video production world, has created some controversy.
[edit] NAB 2007
At the National Association of Broadcasters 2007 show in Las Vegas, Nevada, three working Red One cameras were on display as well as all-day screenings of a recent 12-minute short entitled Crossing the Line directed by Peter Jackson using two "alpha" versions of the Red camera nicknamed Boris and Natasha. The alpha versions had nothing but a record/stop button and shot at 4K/24 frame/s and a 180 degree shutter. All other features were unavailable. Initially expecting a standard camera test, when Jim Jannard, Jarred Land, and Deanan Dasilva from Red arrived in New Zealand, they were surprised to learn that Peter Jackson intended to shoot a ten minute short set in World War I featuring battles in trenches and in the air. The film was used to showcase the capabilities of the Red One camera in action rather than in controlled test environments.[5] [6] The film was shot in 2 days.
Despite being feature-incomplete, Red assured booth visitors the camera would start shipping before the end of the year.
At NAB 2007, Red announced that Redcode RAW data generated by the camera can be converted using propriety software called Red Cine into a range of formats, including DPX. Redcode RAW is also supported in Final Cut Pro 6. A new set of prime Red lenses was released which includes f2.8 15 mm, f1.9 25 mm, f1.9 35 mm, f1.9 50 mm and f1.9 85 mm lenses for $19,975 as well as a new 18 mm-50 mm (f2.8) zoom for $6,500. The previously announced 18-80 mm zoom has been slightly delayed.[7]
Also at NAB 2007, during the Final Cut Pro User Group Supermeet, the Red team appeared on stage. Although they were scheduled to show footage from the camera, they declined, citing copyright concerns. They also used the venue to announce that they would be developing a "Professional Pocket Cam" and their own 4k projector, but declined to give any more details.
[edit] Filmography
Director Steven Soderbergh has shot his two features recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival: Guerrilla and The Argentine entirely with the Red One camera. Soderbergh is very enthusiastic about the camera, saying that "this is the camera I've been waiting for my whole career: jaw-dropping imagery recorded onboard a camera light enough to hold with one hand. I don't know how Jim and the Red team did it—and they won't tell me—but I know this: Red is going to change everything."[8]
Red One digital camera was tested shooting the film Wanted. The movie was shot entirely on 35 mm film, but some scenes were shot twice, once using the Red One, once using 35 mm film to compare the results for the future use of the Red One camera. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, and Angelina Jolie. Production began in April 2007. Wanted has a target release date of June 27, 2008.[9]
The upcoming motion picture Game is also to be shot on the Red One.[4]
The feature Sensored, starring Robert Picardo, currently in post-production, was shot using the Red One camera.[5]
"The Last Dragon", an official Australian Chinese Co-production, will also be shot entirely on RED by director Mario Andreacchio in October 2008 in China.
[edit] September 2006 theft
On September 24, 2006, the Red offices in Lake Forest, California were broken into. No sensors or sensor information were stolen.[10] Some of the stolen items, including a prototype camera shell, have since been recovered, and some items such as computers containing in-detail information on the Red One have not been recovered. Red has not revealed the circumstances of the recovery, due to the existence of an ongoing investigation.[11] Red has offered a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the apprehension of those responsible.[12]
[edit] Scarlet
A 3K camera called "Red Scarlet" was announced by Red at IBC 2007 and was described as a professional pocket camera. On April 14, 2008, it was displayed at NAB.
[edit] Features[13][14]
- 2/3 inch bayer cmos sensor
- 3K resolution in Redcode RAW format with data rates up to 100 MB/s on dual compact flash
- frame rates of 1-120 frames per second. 180 frames/s for short periods
- 8x zoom lens
- full manual and automatic controls
- Wi-Fi wireless network capabilities
Release date sometime in 2009 with a price under $3000.[15]
[edit] Epic
A 5K camera called "Epic" has been announced. It will have a S35 mm Mysterium X sensor and Red has announced that customers who bought the Red One and wish to upgrade may trade their existing cameras in for full credit towards the purchase of the Epic.
[edit] Competitors
Red has many competitors, some having resolution of 1080 vertical pixels. Resolution aside, the competitors have very similar features and some are already in wide use by the film industry.
- Arriflex D-20 (35mm sensor size, 1080p output)
- Genesis (Panavision) (35mm, 1080p)
- F-23 (Sony CineAlta) (2/3", 1080p)
- Dalsa Origin (35mm, 4K)
- Thomson Viper FilmStream (2/3", 1080p)
- Silicon Imaging (2/3", 2K)
[edit] In development
- Kinetta Camera (2/3", 1080p)
- Aaton Penelope DigiMag (35mm, 6K)
[edit] References
- ^ Scott Kirsner (July 24, 2006). Studios Shift to Digital Movies, but Not Without Resistance. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ a b c Red One technical specifications. RED Digital Cinema Camera Company. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Graeme Nattress, RED Problem Solver (04-22-2007). support thread: Interview With Peter Jackson's DP. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Jim Jannard (January 2, 2007). Reservations: One last chance....
- ^ Jackson opted not to use the Red lenses in favor of the Angenieux Zoom and Cooke S4 lenses with which he was more familiar.
- ^ Stephen Schleicher (June 8, 2007). Eyes-On the Red Camera: Real and Beautiful, 4K Support Promised on Launch. Gizmodo. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ mseymour7 (April 17, 2007). fxguide - tips and training - NAB podcast: RED camera at NAB & roundtable. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Steven Soderbergh to shoot "The Argentine" and "Guerrilla", starring Benecio del Toro, exclusively with RED cameras. Red News (2007-07-5). Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
- ^ Steffen Silvis. "Stillking is still king", The Prague Post, 2007-04-04. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
- ^ What Happened at Red.
- ^ Recovery... mostly.
- ^ Break-in....
- ^ http://www.red.com/nab/scarlet
- ^ http://gizmodo.com/379530/red-scarlet-3k-hd-pocket-pro-camera-under-3000
- ^ 3K For Under 3 Grand: The Red Scarlet is Here.
[edit] WikiBooks
- Red Camera on the Movie Making Manual
